Lez Be Friends

What happens when your best friend comes out, and you make a film about it?

After making a short film about her best friend Abbey’s struggle to accept her sexual orientation, Lily is assumed to be the true subject of the film. While Abbey, the film’s star, becomes a legend in the lesbian community, Lily is trapped in a netherworld between heterosexuality and homosexuality, continually trying to set the record straight.

A follow up to Hayes’ first film, DIKE, a dramatization about her best friend coming out.

35mm, colour,13.5 minutes ©2000
Starring
Patricia Welbourn & Tanya Pillay
With Eric Marier, RJ Mottola, Michelle Smith, Navin Miller, Tanya Henley, Brandon Barre, Lorne Hiro, Latoya Whitter, Kira Sendel, Brenda Kovrig, Bret Dawson, Moe Poirier, Allyson Payne, Mary Ervine, Vani Pather, Bak Pather, Michelle Kasprazak, Janine Fung, & Lisa Cupoli.
Cinematography by Carolyn Wong
Written & Directed by Lisa Hayes

Film Festivals

  • Women in the Director’s Chair, Chicago, USA, March 2004.
  • Dallas Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, USA, November 8-14, 2002.
  • Berlin Lesbian Film Festival, Germany, October 9 – 14, 2002.
  • Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, USA, October 4 – 12, 2002.
  • San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, California, USA, June 13 – 30, 2002.
  • Flying Broom Women’s Film Festival, Ankara, Turkey, May 2 – 9, 2002.
  • London Lesbian Film Festival, London, Ontario, Canada, May 3 – 5, 2002.
  • Herland Feminist Film & Video Festival, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, April 30 – May 5, 2002.
  • Melbourne Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia, March 14 – 24, 2002.
  • London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, London, England, April 3 -17, 2002.
  • Immaginaria Film Festival, Bologna, Italy, February 28 – March 3, 2002.
  • Festival Tous Courts, Aix-en-Provence, France, November 26 – December 1, 2001.
  • Hamburg Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Germany, October 20, 2001.
  • Festival Internacional de Cinema da Figueira da Foz, Portugal, September 6 – 16, 2001.
  • 3rd Annual Photophobia Outdoor Experimental Film and Video Festival , Hamilton, Canada, August 2001
  • Light Plays Tricks Film Festival, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, June, 2001
  • Barcelona Women’s Film Festival, Spain, June, 2001.
  • Tampere International Short Film Festival, Tampere, Finland. March, 2001.
  • British Short Film Festival, London, England. September, 2000.
  • LIFT National Salon des Refusés, Toronto, Canada. September, 2000.

Broadcasts

  • ZeD TV, CBC, Canada.
  • Cine Cinema, France.

This production was generously supported by The Ontario Arts Council and The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto